The ANZ Bank has launched its mobile payments system for business customers — BladePay — and announced that six point-of-sale vendors are now developing customised applications for the platform.
But, BladePay won’t be available to the market until March next year, when it will be in use for the first time with the hospitality industry and retail, and B2B shortly after.
The ANZ says point-of-sale vendors NCR, RedCat, H&L, SureFire, Abacus and Shout for Good have all started developing software for the BladePay device, and it is actively working with a number of other vendor partners.
Developed in partnership with tech innovation firm ThumbzUp, BladePay is a hand-held Android-based payment device which ANZ says is capable of integrating third-party applications designed to help businesses run more efficiently and enhance customers’ experience.
{loadposition peter}The official launch of BladePay comes as the Tasmanian-based MyState Bank became the second Australian bank, after the ANZ, to offer Apple Pay to its customers, and as the Commonwealth, NAB and Westpac — along with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank – continue their dispute with Apple over offering the service to their customers.
And, just this week, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission indicated it would deny a request from the Commonwealth, Westpac, NAB and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank to collectively bargain with Apple over Apple Pay.
In the ANZ’s case, it worked out an arrangement with Apple for offering Apple Pay some months ago.
On the launch of BladePay, ANZ group executive, Australia, Fred Ohlsson, said on Thursday: “We are routinely told that managing payments is one of the biggest pain points for business owners, yet when we looked at the market we found an opportunity to create a platform that could dramatically change the way our customers do business.”
“ANZ BladePay is a fully integrated and innovative solution that will simplify business operations. What really sets ANZ BladePay apart is the software our vendor partners are developing, which is tailored to our customers’ needs. ANZ BladePay is much more than a secure payments solution, its potential is limitless.
“Our vendor partners can build applications to include features such as ‘order and pay at table’, split bill and tipping options, ability to email and SMS receipts, and staff shift clock-on functions.”
The features of BladePay:
· Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system;
· Open architecture platform;
· 5″ high resolution display;
· Dual Cameras: 8MP rear facing/ 2MP front facing;
· WiFi and 4G enabled Includes 1/2D barcode scanner;
· Customised home screen with preferred applications; and
· Micro USB cable for charging.